Matching wine to cuisines it isn’t traditionally drunk with–Caribbean, Latin American, Asian, etc–is the focus of this periodic feature, in which we pick a BYO restaurant, sample a few dishes, and recommend some wines.
Nok thawt kra-thiam phrik thai (deep-fried quail in garlic-and-pepper sauce) 1
$6.95
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Sticky Rice Thai has everything you’ll find at your corner Thai joint–pot stickers, shu mai, curry dishes, pad thai–but it also has an extensive menu (ask for the English translation) of hard-to-find northern Thai dishes like khaw muu yang (grilled pork neck), luuk chin ping (grilled and fried meatballs), and khanom jiin naam ngiaw (pork and cubed-pork-blood curry with vermicelli, fermented beans, and dried flowers). Pairing wines here was a challenge because of this cuisine’s complex blend of flavors: most dishes are dominated by hot chiles, brown sugar, coconut milk, and salty fish sauce. Crisp, acidic whites work with most items, but a handful call for a light, fruity red. The consulting wine expert on this trip was Tom Powers, director of beverage service and education for the KDK Restaurant Group (Marche, Gioco, Opera, Red Light, and others).
- 2001 Kuentz-Bas Riesling (Alsace, France), $17.50. This very dry Riesling is full of lemon and lime flavors. Alsace’s limestone-and-clay soil gives it a mineral aroma and a mild taste of flint, distinguishing it from its sweeter German counterparts. The peppercorns in the spicy scallop stir-fry taste milder with this wine, which lets the scallops’ slight sweetness come through, and bring out the wine’s otherwise barely perceptible sweet peach flavor. (Trotter’s to Go)
Binny’s Beverage Depot 213 W. Grand, 312-332-0012
